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The Corporation as Citoyen? Towards a New Understanding of Corporate Citizenship

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  • Michael Aßländer
  • Janina Curbach

Abstract

Based on the extended conceptualization of corporate citizenship, as provided by Matten and Crane (Acad Manag Rev 30(1):166–179, 2005 ), this paper examines the new role of corporations in society. Taking the ideas of Matten and Crane one step further, we argue that the status of corporations as citizens is not solely defined by their factual engagement in the provision of citizenship rights to others. By analysing political and sociological citizenship theories, we show that such engagement is more adequately explained by a change in the self-conception of corporate citizens from corporate bourgeois to corporate citoyens. While the corporate bourgeois acts primarily for private business purposes, the corporate citoyen engages in society, performing civil and political rights and duties. As an intermediate actor in society, shaped by the principle of subsidiary task-sharing, the corporate citoyen undertakes co-responsibility for social and civic affairs and actively collaborates with fellow citizens below, beside and beyond governmental regulation. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

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  • Michael Aßländer & Janina Curbach, 2014. "The Corporation as Citoyen? Towards a New Understanding of Corporate Citizenship," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 541-554, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:120:y:2014:i:4:p:541-554
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-2004-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kolk, Ans, 2016. "The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the environment to CSR and sustainable development," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 23-34.
    2. Michel Dion, 2017. "Corporate Citizenship, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability Reports as “Would-be” Narratives," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 83-102, October.
    3. Stephen T. Homer, 2022. "Perceived corporate citizenship: a scale development and validation study adopting a bottom-up approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1435-1461, June.
    4. Alexander Kruggel & Victor Tiberius & Manuela Fabro, 2020. "Corporate Citizenship: Structuring the Research Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Martínez, Cecilia & Skeet, Ann Gregg & Sasia, Pedro M., 2021. "Managing organizational ethics: How ethics becomes pervasive within organizations," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 83-92.
    6. Lisa Herzog, 2017. "No Company is an Island. Sector-Related Responsibilities as Elements of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 146(1), pages 135-148, November.
    7. Silvia Biraghi & Rossella Gambetti & Stefania Romenti, 2017. "Stakeholder Engagement beyond the Tension between Idealism and Practical Concerns," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, January.
    8. Michael S. Aßländer, 2020. "How to Overcome Structural Injustice? Social Connectedness and the Tenet of Subsidiarity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 719-732, March.

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